Pilgrim's Pride to appeal judgment in pricing dispute

Oct. 3, 2011
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by Meat&Poultry Staff

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EL DORADO, Ark. – On Oct. 3, Pilgrim's Pride announced it intended to appeal a judgment ordering the company to pay approximately $26 million to chicken growers in the El Dorado, Ark. area. The verdict, which was announced on Sept. 30, awarded 91 growers between $9,000 to nearly $900,000.

Pilgrim's decision to idle its El Dorado plant in 2008 was motivated by a desire to manipulate the price of chicken thereby violating an anti-trust law, a magistrate judge ruled.

"We're disappointed in the court's findings, and we don't find them consistent with the Packers and Stockyards Act," said Bill Lovette, Pilgrim's Pride CEO, in a statement sent to MEATPOULTRY.com. "We completely reject the idea that we tried to manipulate the market. We tried to live in the market, not manipulate it. We will appeal accordingly."

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